Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-02-10


darkness. A suddsa HIlirl Of the
tempest almost took p - my feet.
and brick. dislodgsd len one ofthe
chimnsys. graxsd NJ 80 in its pas
sage. and broke in h<! - the pave
ment.
With bated breath. a|sa stsp like
the tread Of the pantAx|F sen Ting his
prey, | parted the thiek slarknsss and
turned my face towar he hospital.
He might be either b - any step
along the passage-or Hl3 u ths angle,
of the wall at the doc rough which,
] must enter II ssnzd most
probable; but there was another door,
known only to the doctors.
l thought / would slude him. With
infinite caution I tesan to scale the
high wall. dreading horribly lest some
sudden break 10 the sky might reveal
me to the wild eye that watched for
ms-but no.
Safely passing the summit I threw
my leg over the descent, and-felt my
foot seized. 1t was but the clinging
tendril of a wild vine, skirting the
wall. Grasping my knife in my right
hand. l crept along the bushes for fifty
yards, then struck across the lawn
for the side entrance. The darkness
perplexed me, but I thought I was
steering straight. Suddenly my feet
struck bricks. What was this? l
tried to recollect. There was no pave
ment round that part of the hospital.
| pushed on uncertainty and feeling
a weight in the air. put out my hands
to group for some clew to my where
abouts. l was in an alley-Aanked
with stone walls above my head. /
gave a sudden turn. In an instant I
knew | was in the subterranean passage
of the asylum. l turned to retrace
my steps-the Opaque density ofsome
heavy body crouched between me and
the outer air. I heard its stiAed
breathing-its stealthy tread ap-
preaching me. My God he had fol-
lowed me from the very door of the
dead house here A struggle for life
with a mailman in these narrow,
gloomy vaults-to lie in the pool of
ones own hearts blood in this undis.
covered tomb-snd my young wife
Constance twas maddening.
For an instant my brain was On fire.
Then I thought there might be an
exit-other devious windings in which
| could eluds my deadly pursuer.
Going deftly backward, I turned the
angle in the wall, and then plunged
at the utmost speed of young, active
man along the black passage. Instant
ly I knew I was pursued. Meeting
another crossed path struck into it
in an opposite direction. The maniac
instantly followed me. What a race
through those cavernous depths OF the
madhOusel What tragic pitfalls might
lurk at every stepl What black and
stagnant pools lie waiting to engulf
me- What deeper depth of icy black
ness into which to fall-and fall for
ever!
The passage grew narrower. We
were perhaps, under the very ceH'er
of the building. and farthest from the
outer air. I had tried to breathe
noiselessly; the effort exhausted me.
| knew nothing of the labyrinths t;
could only guess at our position by
the distance from the entrance. ! had
counted the turnirgs We had made.
/ thought | could retrace them. My
strength was failing. I was aeeteSt,
but he was most enduring.
Presently he would run me down
1t was terrible venture. but the ne
cessity was imminent. I would try
it. Gathering all my force l darted
like an arrow on into the darkness.
The suddenness of my increased speed
baffied him. succeeded in putting
fifty yards between Us, gained aud
turned the next angle. then drawing
myself against the wall, with every
nerve and muscle strained, into pre-
ter. natural tension, with the mighty
heave of nv chest crushed into silence
by an iron effort of despairing will,
waited for him to pass me. heard
him come rushing on with new
strength through the blacknese. reach
the angle turn it striking his massive
body against the jutting stones. /
heard him spring like an animal on
along the track. i felt his hot breath
like steam-the foam of his Sc, Jaws
flung across my face-and he stopped.
] felt that he was feeling for mel that
be was crouching on the stones. /
saw the red FIRE Of his eyeballs glare
up TO me through the darkness.
felt the touch Of his icy flesh on nv